Discomfort rippled through the Maximos Mansion following former European Commissioner and New Democracy MP Dimitris Abramopoulos’s public remarks on the Qatargate scandal on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 — the same day Belgian authorities formally transmitted their file and an arrest warrant against him to the Greek Parliament.
Controversial Remarks Stir Government Concerns
In an interview with SKAI, Abramopoulos forcefully rejected all allegations tied to the investigation, dismissing them as “nonsense” and declaring he would “not apologize to any horned one.” The blunt phrasing — widely interpreted as a dismissive, even contemptuous reference to prosecutors or judicial officials — reportedly did not go unnoticed in government circles. According to New Democracy sources, senior officials at Maximos viewed the tone of his intervention as unhelpful for managing the case’s delicate communications strategy.
Government Stresses Institutional Responsibility
The government has not endorsed the substance of the Belgian authorities’ accusations nor pre-judged the case’s outcome. Yet it has consistently emphasized a clear principle: when judicial authorities summon a citizen — especially a public figure — that individual is expected to respond. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis echoed this stance in an interview with Open earlier the same day. While declining to weigh in on the merits of the allegations against Abramopoulos, he underscored institutional conduct: “When authorities call us, we must go. That applies to everyone.” He stressed it was not his role to condemn or exonerate the former commissioner.
‘Horned One’ Phrase Draws Criticism
Within the governing camp, concern centers largely on Abramopoulos’s choice of language. His remark about refusing to apologize “to any horned one” was seen as unnecessarily inflammatory — particularly in a matter with significant European and judicial dimensions, where restraint and measured communication are considered essential. Officials acknowledged that Abramopoulos has offered substantive explanations regarding his involvement with the NGO Fight Impunity, led by Antonio Panzeri, noting he had obtained prior approval from the European Commission. Still, they cautioned that aggressive rhetoric does little to bolster his position — especially now that the file rests squarely with him and his legal team.
New Friction with Ministry of Citizen Protection and Hellenic Police
Abramopoulos’s interview also opened a second front — this time with the Ministry of Citizen Protection and the Hellenic Police. He alleged the European arrest warrant had sat “in Michalis Chryssochoïdis’s drawer” for days, implying delays or mismanagement in handling the case. In response, police sources pushed back sharply, stating the warrant was forwarded to the Athens Court of Appeals Prosecutor within 24 hours — in line with standard procedure. “No citizen receives preferential treatment,” they emphasized.
Unanswered Question: Why Didn’t He Appear?
A central, unresolved question remains: why did Dimitris Abramopoulos not appear before judicial authorities after being summoned?